When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest in Tehran earlier this month, Indonesia, home to more Muslims than any other nation on Earth, decided to send only its ambassador – at first.
The decision raised questions not only about Jakarta’s non-aligned foreign policy but also the tensions at the heart of President Prabowo Subianto’s prized “good-neighbour” diplomacy.
One former Indonesian ambassador called the minimal initial presence “a slap in the face” for Iran and asked whether Washington was to blame.
“From what I hear, Iran’s persistent efforts to invite the Indonesian government have gone unanswered,” Dino Patti Djalal, former envoy to the US, wrote in a pointed social media post on July 6.
They have their own pride, too – they wouldn’t beg for our presence
“They have their own pride, too – they wouldn’t beg for our presence,” he said. “Does this mean our ‘free and active’ foreign policy is starting to crumble because Indonesia is afraid or hesitant towards America?”